BANTUL: A young tourist from Tawangmangu, Central Java, identified as Prihandoyo, 13, was reported missing on Wednesday after a large wave swamped him and six friends at Parangtritis beach in Bantul, Yogyakarta.

According to Sunardi, a witness, Prihandoyo was playing soccer when at around 5:30 a.m., he and his friends went into the sea to retrieve their ball, which had been thrown into the water, not realizing it was a dangerous stretch of beach.

“When they jumped into the water, a big wave suddenly hit them,” Sunardi said. “After the big wave, six people were rescued but Prihandoyo was not to be seen.”

The Parangtritis Search and Rescue (SAR) Team head Ali Sutanto said that the youngsters were unaware that they were swimming near a sea trench. “They didn’t realize that they were swimming in a dangerous area,” he said.